


All The Words To Say

by Pappels (SabakuNoKel)



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Pre-Movie(s), Young Love, Younger!Maui, Younger!Tamatoa, like they're both in their late teens-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 06:26:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10916181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabakuNoKel/pseuds/Pappels
Summary: Our favorite demigod and monster duo go on an adventure and Tamatoa has a confession to make





	All The Words To Say

**Author's Note:**

> Another trade! This time with blueicysnowflakes on tumblr :)  
> http://blueicysnowflakes.tumblr.com/

How had he let Maui talk him into this? Oh, right. Maui just had to blink those big brown eyes at him and Tamatoa would go along with whatever crazy idea had invaded the demigod's head now.

Ideas such as stealing from a chimera.

Chimera were notoriously territorial and difficult to steal from, what with having three heads and all. This chimera wasn't even hoarding anything shiny! Just some stinky rope made from monster guts. The rope they were after was said to be magical, capable of extending to great lengths so it had its practical uses but since Maui hadn't shared what he planned to do with it Tamatoa was less than happy putting his life on the line so they could retrieve it.

Oh, how the demigod owed him for this.

While Maui distracted the beast it was his job to sneak into its lair and grab the rope before the chimera caught on to their plan. Tamatoa wasn’t looking forward to entering the dark cave the creature had made its home, knowing he would have little chance of escaping if their plan fell through but the longer he waited the more he risked getting caught.

He could hear Maui whooping and hollering not that far away and turned towards the sound. He spotted the demigod as he circled around a tall rock spire in his eagle form, a plume of fire just missing his tail feathers. The other swooped down and let out a battle cry, a flash of blue magic lighting up the surrounding mountains.

Well, at least someone was having fun.

Tamatoa turned back to the mouth of the cave. "Better get this over with." He mumbled to himself.

He entered the dark cave, his bioluminescence providing some light for him to see by. Luckily the cave wasn't as deep as he'd thought and it wasn’t long before the smell of sour guts let him know he had to be close to his goal. He found the coil of entrails at the back of the cave, sitting amongst a collection of picked clean bones. Why a chimera would even have something like this was beyond him but he really didn’t have the time to think about it so he just picked up the rope. Prize secured he quickly made his way back to the entrance.

Back at the mouth of the cave he paused to peek his eyestalks around the corner but when he wasn't immediately hit with a ball of fire he figured he was in the clear. Quickly scurrying out of the cave he let out a sigh of relief once the lair was no longer in his sight and no chimera had come to gobble him up.

He supposed he had Maui to thank for that. The sounds of the demigod's joyful exclamations had died down but he still had to be distracting the creature. He looked over to the mountain top where he'd spotted the other earlier but didn’t see him, not that he'd expected to. He knew Maui well enough to know the demigod could only go so long before playful distractions turned into a serious fight. Still, Maui wouldn’t be far away, not even a truly spectacular battle could distract the demigod when he had his sights set on something. Figuring his best bet on finding the other was on the other side of that mountain Tamatoa made his way over and started to climb.

He spotted Maui immediately once he'd reached the top. The chimera had him backed into a corner but the demigod was holding his own, ducking out of the way as it breathed fire at him and retaliating with a swing of his mighty hook. The expression on the demigod's face was focused, of almost single minded determination as he expertly leaped and swung his way out of harm. Many would consider a chimera a lethal opponent but Maui matched the creature blow for blow without even breaking a sweat.

Tamatoa could watch him fight for hours.

There had always been something intriguing about Maui but when he fought he seemed to shine in a way that was completely unique to him. Every move radiated power and Tamatoa drank it all in down to the smallest detail. The splay of his chest, the way his muscles bulged, all of it was breathtaking to him.

Maui jumped and Tamatoa's gaze dragged up the length of his legs.

He pulled his hook back and the monster's eyes were drawn to his perfect back and shoulders.

He swung and even the way his hands gripped his hook was enough to send his heart racing.

The creature roared as Maui hit it, making the crustacean realize he'd been staring (and drooling) at the demigod. Luckily for him both Maui and the chimera were so focused on their fight they hadn't noticed him up in his hiding spot. Maui smirked, quirking his brow at the chimera in that cocksure way of his which just enraged the creature all the more. Brown eyes sparkled with mischief and Tamatoa felt himself getting distracted again but he shook himself out of it before he got in too deep.

He had to find some way of letting Maui know he'd gotten the rope without alerting the chimera. The creature had its back to him, all three of its heads turned towards the demigod while Maui kept his eyes firmly on his opponent and didn’t once look up.

Well, he'd just have to _make_ the other look up then.

Searching the ground Tamatoa found a decent sized pebble and took aim, one eye closed and tongue poking out of his mouth for maximum concentration, before throwing it at the demigod down below. The pebble hit Maui in the side of the head, bouncing off harmlessly as his eyes widened at the surprise 'attack'. Maui's eyes flicked down to the pebble then climbed up the mountain until they came to rest on Tamatoa. The demigod smiled when he saw him and quirked his brow in question to which Tamatoa responded by rolling his eyes as he held up the rope. Maui's smile grew at the sight of their prize, the other's joy infectious as the monster felt an answering smile pulling at his own lips.

Their interaction seemed to go entirely unnoticed by the chimera much to their fortune. Now that they'd achieved their goal all that was left was to escape with their lives. That was the tricky part though, wasn’t it?

It seemed Maui had an idea however as he jumped up high and brought his whole body back down on top of the chimera, one foot planted on either head as he brought his hook down onto its snake tail. While the creature was dazed Maui gestured at the mountain side. Tamatoa frowned, leaning over to look at where the other was pointing.

Oh.

The rock face was crumbling, one misplaced stone and it would all come tumbling down, burying anyone unlucky enough to be caught down below under a pile of rubble. Smiling, Tamatoa quickly got to work. It was easy enough to find a rock that had already been loosened and give it a final push, watching as it broke off from the rest of the mountain and rolled down, collecting more and more debris along the way.

Down below the chimera was back on its feet, Maui standing a safe distance away with a smug I-know-something-you-don’t expression on his face. The creature raised its claw to swipe at the demigod but paused, turning at the sound of the avalanche but by then it was already too late as the wave of rocks and dust sped towards it. Tamatoa had to scurry back as the rock below him became unsteady so he didn't see the chimera get buried but its scream could be heard even over the sound of the landslide.

Maui had transformed just before the avalanche hit and shot out of the cloud of dust with a victory cry, shifting back as he landed beside Tamatoa. They didn’t get the chance to bask in their success for long however as the mountain they stood on continued to crumble, large cracks appearing beneath their footing. They didn’t need to look at each other to know they both had the same thought, which was getting away from this place before it fell apart completely and dragged them down with it.

They hurried down the mountain as quick as they could, only stopping once they'd left the chimera's territory far behind them. They were both heaving from the run though Maui recovered faster (another advantage of being a demigod), a chuckle building in his throat. Tamatoa looked over at the sound, catching the jubilant grin on the other's face.

"We did it, man! Up top!" Maui announced, holding both his hands up in the air. Tamatoa matched the demigod's grin as he smacked his claws against the other's hands. Standing across from each other like this they were eye to eye. Maui's gaze softened the longer they looked at each other and there was an odd look in his eyes Tamatoa couldn’t identify but before he could begin to figure out what it meant Maui looked away and the moment passed. Tamatoa frowned, wondering what that was about but shrugged it off in the end. Maui had been giving him strange looks since Tamatoa had grown to the demigod's height, maybe he just missed no longer being the taller of the two of them? It didn’t really matter, what did matter was that they'd succeeded in stealing from the chimera and come out alive and unscathed.

Tamatoa took the rope from where he'd stashed it on his shell, curling his lip as he handed it over to the demigod.

"All that trouble for some disgusting rope. I hope it was worth it." He didn’t really have a problem with guts but he preferred them fresh, not dried and smelly. The smell didn’t seem to bother Maui as much but then human noses were a lot weaker than his senses.

"Oh, it will be." Maui declared as he tied the coil of guts to his hook. Whatever the demigod planned to do with that rope it had to be something special, something the humans would no doubt rave about for a couple of centuries and he'd have to hear about again and again. Maui looked so pleased though so Tamatoa wouldn’t complain (much).

The demigod smiled, clapping him on the shell as he said. "Thanks for helping me out with this. You're a true friend." Tamatoa waited until Maui had turned away, the demigod heading back to where they'd set up camp for the night, before letting the smile fall from his face.

"Right. Friend." He mumbled. Nowadays whenever the other called him that something in his chest constricted. He liked being Maui's friend but he couldn’t lie to himself and say that was all he wanted to be. Call him selfish but he wanted Maui all to himself. He knew he couldn’t have that though, Maui would always return to the humans but if the demigod knew about his feelings he might see him as something more than a friend. He wanted to be Maui's partner, his equal, to know he always had a place in the other's heart even when he wasn’t by his side.

Tamatoa sighed. He'd been thinking of this for a while now, telling Maui how he felt, but he was nervous about his reaction, afraid the other would reject and shun him. He knew he couldn’t stay quiet about it forever though. Every time he saw Maui the need to confess grew stronger, the words almost spilling out and only held back by sheer stubbornness. One of these days he wouldn’t be able to hold back and he'd certainly make a giant fool of himself, ruining his chances to be with the demigod before he'd even had a shot.

So… maybe he should do it now?

Just the thought sent his heart racing but he couldn’t say the idea didn’t have merit. At least now he could tell the other on his own terms and with Maui still running high on their success now was as good a time as any. He looked at where the other walked a few steps ahead of him, thinking of standing beside him, being able to touch him without having to hold back, sharing everything and more with him until they knew all there was to know about each other.

Tamatoa swallowed around his suddenly dry throat, stomping his nerves down as he steeled himself.

He could do this.

"Maui?" He called out, thankful to whatever god had provided that miracle that his voice didn’t crack or waver.

The other turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"There's something I have to tell you." Tamatoa clicked his claws together anxiously as his eyes flitted about unable to look the other in the face.

There was a slight furrow to Maui's brow, no doubt due to his suddenly odd behavior, as the demigod gave him a deliberate nod. "Alright."

Tamatoa took a deep breath. He'd thought so many times on how to say this but now that the moment was here his thoughts were too jumbled to make sense of. He wanted to say a million things all at once but that would certainly scare Maui off. He wanted to say nothing at all and just _show_ the demigod how he felt but that might freak the other out. He wanted to pretend he'd never said anything in the first place but if he did he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He wanted so many things but more than any of that he wanted Maui to understand how much he meant to him.

Silence stretched between them, making Tamatoa realize he had to say _something_ so he decided to just let out all the things he'd been thinking since he'd realized how he felt and hope for the best.

"I like you. I like being around you, spending time with you. I like it when you're happy and when you're sad it makes me feel sad too. I like going on adventures with you, even the ones that nearly end in disaster because I know it'll be okay as long as you're with me. I like listening to you talk, telling the stories I've heard a million times before like it's the first time every time. I like…" Tamatoa trailed off. He'd kept his eyes firmly on the ground as he talked, too embarrassed to look up, but not knowing how Maui was reacting to his words was driving him crazy so he'd chanced a glance at the other's face and nearly gasped. The demigod was _smiling_. The smile lit up his face like the sun was right under his skin and the sight was more radiant and beautiful than anything Tamatoa had ever seen. Seeing that expression on the other's face made him forget what he'd been saying as he mumbled; "your face…"

Maui shook his head as he huffed out a laugh, his eyes twinkling.

"You say all these things and decide to end with that you like my face?" The demigod quirked his brow at him and Tamatoa suddenly realized what he'd said.

"I didn’t… what I meant was…" He stammered out, feeling his face burning. He knew he'd make a fool of himself! As if his rambling attempt of a confession hadn't been bad enough he had to go and make it worse by saying something stupid.

"Hey, it's alright. I get it." Maui said.

Tamatoa blinked at the other. "You do?"

"Yeah." Maui smiled, stepping closer until there was barely an inch of space left between them. Tamatoa's heart was racing having the demigod so close, his eyes growing wide as the other leaned in.

"I like your face too." Maui whispered as he placed his hands on his cheeks and leaned forward until their lips met.

Maui was kissing him.

_Maui was kissing him!_

He almost didn’t believe it but the warmth of the demigod's lips on his own convinced him he couldn’t be dreaming because no dream had ever felt this good.

His eyes slipped shut as he pressed back against Maui's lips, feeling the other's mouth yielding to his touch.

He melted.

Maui chuckled against his mouth, the vibrations tingling against his lips in a pleasant way. The demigod nudged his face slightly to the side, changing the angle and suddenly it was even better. Tamatoa drew in closer, wanting to feel every inch of the other against him as he buried his antennae in Maui's curls.

He couldn’t get enough. Every little touch seemed to fan the flames building inside him, the heat almost unbearable but he couldn’t pull away. Tamatoa leaned in further, needing to be closer, so close that it would be impossible to tell where one of them began and the other ended.

"Oof!" They grunted as Maui suddenly lost his balance from the crustacean's added weight and fell on the ground with Tamatoa on top of him. Their mouths had separated during the fall and as Tamatoa leaned back he got a good look at how swollen and glossy the other's lips were. He unconsciously ran his tongue over his own lips, watching as Maui's eyes flicked down to track the motion. Their eyes met, something unspoken passing between them. Tamatoa felt himself leaning down again, as if pulled by some spell but when he felt Maui shift under him he realized he was still on top of the other and jerked back.

"Ah, sorry." Tamatoa scrambled off the demigod, his face flushed though if that was from embarrassment or from their earlier kissing he couldn’t say.

"You know if you wanted to get on top of me that badly you should have just asked." Maui wiggled his eyebrows at him as he sat up, smirking as the crustacean's face grew a shade darker.

"I— you— I didn’t—" Tamatoa stammered, not knowing how to reply to that especially since he wanted nothing more than to pin the other back down and ravish his mouth again.

"Wow, Tama, calm down I was just joking!" Maui chuckled, clearly enjoying embarrassing him.

"Jerk." He said, glaring off to the side until the demigod came over and pecked him on the cheek.

"You're cute when you're mad." Tamatoa tried to fight the smile tugging at his lips but couldn’t, something that had Maui grinning at him. Well the demigod might be able to smooth talk him but Tamatoa wouldn’t just let him win.

"Maybe I'll let you get on top of me next time, babe." This time it was his turn to laugh as the demigod blushed and glared at him. Happiness glowing in his chest as he pulled Maui back in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic got delayed because I had to get a wisdom tooth surgically pulled (since the dentist couldn't get it out) and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life, even with 8 shots of anesthetics! I have to say though writing fluff did help somewhat with the pain (and painkillers. Thank god for painkillers)
> 
> Still open to prompts/questions/trades on my tumblr ;)  
> http://pepperedappels.tumblr.com/


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